Pollution-free coal charging apparatus

ABSTRACT

A coal charging larry car is provided with a combination lid lifting and drop sleeve apparatus that provides a gas-flow passageway from an oven to be charged with coal to another oven twice removed in which coal is coking. A reversible screw conveyor feeds coal into either oven as preferred.

Unite States Patent 110/7; 198/10; 214/18 PH, 35 R; 202/262, 263

Gidick Feb. 12, 1974 [54] POLLUTION-FREE COAL CHARGING 1,366,434 l/1921Thomson 110/101 R APPARATUS 3,709,387 1/1973 Kinzler et a1. 214/18 PH[75] Inventor: Ward F. Gidick, West Newton, Pa. [73] Assi nee- K0 ersCom an Inc Pittsbur h Primary Examiner Kenneth Sprague g P pp p gAssistant ExaminerJames C. Yeung Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sherman H.Barber; Olin E. [22] Filed: Dec. 20, 1972 Williams; Oscar B. Brumback[21] Appl No.: 317,077

57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 110/101 R,l10/101 A, 214/18 PH, 1

214/35 202/263 A coal charging larry car is provided with a combina-[51] I111. Cl. F23k 3/00 don lid lifting and drop sleeve apparatus thatprovides [58] Fleld of Search" 101 101 10] a gas-flow passageway from anoven to be charged with coal to another oven twice removed in which coalis coking. A reversible screw conveyor feeds coal into either oven aspreferred.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures POLLUTION-FREE COAL CHARGING APPARATUS BRIEFSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a plurality of lidlifting devices mounted to a iarry car in such a way that lids on oneoven and on another oven twice removed from the one oven being chargedare removable. Reversible screw conveyor means is provided to chargecoal into the one oven and effluent gases that cannot escape through theascension pipe of the oven being charged flow through the tubularelement surrounding the screw conveyor into the other oven. These gasesthen flow through the ascension pipe into the collector main in theusual manner. An inert gas purge system is provided to clean theapparatus of effluent gases that may remain therein after charging.

For a further understanding of the invention and for features andadvantages thereof, reference may be made to the following descriptionand the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of equipment inaccordance with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing; v

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a coke oven battery looking at asection transversely thereof and showing apparatus in accordance withthe invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view along line II-II of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The tubular element 19 is cylindrical and within itthere is located a screw flight 21 that has a shaft 22 that is journaledin a bearing 23 mounted at one end to a closure plate 25, and in abearing 27 mounted at the other end to a closure plate 29; the shaft ofthe screw flight 21 extends beyond the bearing 27 and connects to aspeed reducer 31 driven by an electric motor 33. The motor 33 is aconventional reversible electric mtor. The tubular element 19, it willbe noted, is larger in diameter than the screw flight 21.

The tubular element 19 is provided, at a location about mid-way of itslength, with a flanged opening 35 to which is mounted a flanged coalhopper 37. At the bottom of the coal hopper there may be installed asliding gate valve or a butterfly valve or any other type of flowregulating device. The top of the hopper 37 is provided with a removablelid 39 which is adapted to be made gas-tight and yet readily removableto pass coal into the 'hopper 37 to fill the same.

It is to be noted that in some instances, for example,

when there is no valve or flow control device at the bottom of the coalhopper 37, as shown in FIG. 1, a pipe 41 carrying steam or other inertgas is connected to the top portion of the hopper and also to anotherpipe 43 that conveys the steam or other inert gas to the end portions ofthe tubular member E9. The steam, in this instance, serves as a purgefor both the hopper 37 and the tubular member 19. When a flow regulatingdevice, such as one of a known type of slide valve or other device isused, it is not necessary, though desirable as a safety feature, toinstall the steam purge lines 39, 43.-

In operation, the larry or coal charging car is positioned over the oven5 to be charged; a drop sleeve 47, as described in the aforementionedpatent, is lowered to a position, as shown in FIG. 2, over a lid 49(shown therein in the raised position). The steam purge lines are filledwith steam by opening valve 51 to fill the void spaces in the hopper 37and in the top void portion of the tubular element 19.

The vertical lid lifter portion 53 of the apparatus 11 is then activatedto engage the lid 49 and to raise it to the position shown in FIG. 2.Simultaneously, similar lid lifting apparatus llfi-is activated to raisethe lid from oven 55 twice removed or' spaced two ovens away from oven45. In the intermediary oven 57, coal is being coked in a normal manner.

ln a coke oven which has three or more charging holes per oven chamber,it is desirable to charge each oven in a prescribed sequence. Assume,for example, that oven 45 has four charging holes numbered (though notshown) A, B, C, and D, in the top of the battery. The lids on chargingholes A, B, C, and D or oven 45 and the same lids on oven 55 areremoved. Such lids may, of course, be removed with the apparatus 11, 13suggested in FIG. 1 or they may be removed by aconventional other meanssuch as a magnetic lid lifter.

After the lids have been removed, the steam purge system is activated tourge the fiow of heat and gases toward the collecting main. Coal ischarged then from hoppers B and I) into oven 45. Gases which evolve fromthe oven as the coal contacts the hot walls flow through the usualascension pipe into the collecting main. After a short period of timewhich may be as long as 10 to 15 seconds, coal is charged from hoppers Aand C into oven 45, and the oven is filled with coal.

Gases which evolve from the coal that contacts the hot walls and the airdisplaced by the coal pass through the upper portion of the tubularelement 119 into oven 55 from which they flow into the ascension pipeand collecting main.

After oven 45 is charged and leveled in the usual manner, the steampurge will have cleared the hoppers and screw conveyors of any smoke andfumes. 1T hereafter, the lids on both oven 45 and 55 can be replaced.

It should be noted that the motor 33 is reversible;

wherefore, the-coal in hopper 3'7 and the tubular member 19 may becharged either into oven 45 or into oven 55, as the case may be.

While the foregoing description of operation is related to the apparatusshown in the drawing, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat the invention may also be used equally well on coke oven batteriesequipped with magnetic lid litters, and even on batten ies where thelids are removable manually.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention, thoseskilled in the art should recognize many important features andadvantages of it, among which the following are particularlysignificant:

That the emission of gases from the colre oven chamber during chargingare substantially eliminated save for any accidental emission, becausethe drop sleeves are lowered before the charging hole lids are removed;

That the screw feeder is reversible in direction thereby permittingcharging coal into either one of two interconnected ovens. This featureis of particular significance when charging of coal is carried out inthe end ovens of a coke oven battery;

That the screw conveyor and gas passage are selfcleaning; whereas, otherknown systems for charging coal into coke oven chambers are not; and

That the steam purge system helps to cool the gas that flows in thetubular member.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only as an example, and that the scope of the invention is definedby what is hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for charging coal into the chambers of a coke ovenbattery, which system includes hoppers that are mounted to a larry car,charging hole lid lifting apparatus and drop sleeves adapted to surroundthe charging holes of such chambers, the improvement comprising: 7

a. reversible means connected to each hopper for feeding coal from saidhopper into either one chamber of two chambers of said battery and forcarrying gases from said one chamber into the other chamber which is atleast twice removed from said one chamber.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

a. said reversible means is a tubular member in which there is areversible screw conveyor.

3. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. a fluid purge system that is adapted to introduce an inert. gaseousfluid into the tubular member for removing effluent gases therefrom.

4. In the invention of claim 3:.

a. means for regulating the flow of coal from said hopper into saidchambers of said coke oven battery.

5. In a system for charging coal into the chambers of a coke ovenbattery, which system includes hoppers that are mounted to a larry car,charging hole lid lifting apparatus and drop sleeves adapted to surroundthe charging holes of such chambers, the improvement comprising:

a. a tubular member mounted to each hopper, such member having therein areversible screw conveyor;

b means for regulating the flow of coal from each hopper into itsrespective tubular member;

0. means connecting said tubular member to either one chamber of twochambers of said battery and for charging coal into said one chamber andfor carrying gases from said one chamber into the other chamber which isat least twice removed from said one chamber; and

d. a fluid purge system fitted to and adapted for introducing inertgaseous fluid into the oven being charged and into the tubular member.

6. In the apparatus of claim 5:

a. means for regulating the flow of coal from said hopper.

1. In a system for charging coal into the chambers of a coke ovenbattery, which system includes hoppers that are mounted to a larry car,charging hole lid lifting apparatus and drop sleeves adapted to surroundthe charging holes of such chambers, the improvement comprising: a.reversible means connected to each hopper for feeding coal from saidhopper into either one chamber of two chambers of said battery and forcarrying gases from said one chamber into the other chamber which is atleast twice removed from said one chamber.
 2. The invention of claim 1wherein: a. said reversible means is a tubular member in which there isa reversible screw conveyor.
 3. The invention of claim 1 including: a. afluid purge system that is adapted to introduce an inert gaseous fluidinto the tubular member for removing effluent gases therefrom.
 4. In theinvention of claim 3: a. means for regulating the flow of coal from saidhopper into said chambers of said coke oven battery.
 5. In a system forcharging coal into the chambers of a coke oven battery, which systemincludes hoppers that are mounted to a larry car, charging hole lidlifting apparatus and drop sleeves adapted to surround the chargingholes of such chambers, the improvement comprising: a. a tubular membermounted to each hopper, such member having therein a reversible screwconveyor; b. means for regulating the flow of coal from each hopper intoits respective tubular member; c. means connecting said tubular memberto either one chamber of two chambers of said battery and for chargingcoal into said one chamber and for carrying gases from said one chamberinto the other chamber which is at least twice removed from said onechamber; and d. a fluid purge system fitted to and adapted forintroducing inert gaseous fluid into the oven being charged and into thetubular member.
 6. In the apparatus of claim 5: a. means for regulatingthe flow of coal from said hopper.